APSU Football’s last minute Field Goal falls short in 17-16 loss at UT Martin

Martin, TN – Koby Perry and Isaiah Norman each had pick-sixes, but the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team could not hold off No. 12 UT Martin and fell 17-16, Saturday, at Graham Stadium.

Austin Peay (3-5, 1-2 OVC) had an upset on its mind in the first half thanks to its defense. The Governors held the Skyhawks to four three-and-outs and picked off two passes in UTM’s first six drives. They also held UTM to 62 yards on 25 plays in the opening half, including only 16 yards on 13 rushes.

After Austin Peay State University turned the ball over on downs in the first quarter, UT Martin moved the ball into APSU territory for the first time.

However, their venture into opponent territory would be short lived as Perry intercepted a pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown, giving the Govs a 6-0 lead after a failed two-point conversion.

The Governors would tack on a Maddux Trujillo 33-yard field goal after piecing together their longest drive of the day – a 15-play, 49-yard drive. The teams would trade punts, Matt Rigney’s 42-yard boot pinning the Skyhawks inside their own five-yard line. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Norman picked off a tipped pass and returned it eight yards for a score and a 16-0 lead, that would survive until halftime.

UT Martin (7-1, 3-0 OVC) turned the tides slowly but surely in the second half. The Skyhawks punted on their first drive of the half but then put together three long drives. An eight-play, 62-yard drive took 4:06 off the clock and resulted in a touchdown. APSU was able to thwart the Skyhawks on their next drive, forcing the hosts to settle for a field goal after a 13-play, 53-yard drive.

The Skyhawks gained possession for the final time with 9:03 left in the fourth quarter. UT Martin proceeded to consume 8:28 of clock time with a 20-play, 96-yard drive that saw them convert a third-and-long and a fourth down along the way. Keon Howard connected with Peyton Logan for a five-yard touchdown reception and Tyler Larco converted the PAT to give UTM its first lead of the game.

Austin Peay State University would have one more chance with 35 seconds left. Sheldon Layman found CJ Evans Jr. on a short pass that turned into a 30-yard gain and moved the ball to the UTM 40-yard line. APSU escaped disaster on the next play when a long review of a potential fumble was overturned into an incomplete pass. The Govs found eight more yards on a Layman rush, setting up a 49-yard field goal try, but the kick fell short of the goalposts denying APSU a walk-off victory.

After posting only 62 yards on 25 plays in the first half, UT Martin had 47 second-half plays for 242 yards. Meanwhile, Austin Peay State University was held to 199 yards over 61 plays for the game and saw its four second-half drives cover 22 plays for 104 yards.

Sheldon Layman, making his second-consecutive start, completed 11-of-18 passes for 104 yards. Brain Snead added 62 yards on the ground.

Defensively, Perry led APSU with a career-high 16 tackles, one tackle for loss, the pick-six, a breakup and was credited with a quarterback hurry in a busy day.

UT Martin’s defense recorded 11 tackles for loss with Eyabi Anoma leading the effort with 4.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks in an eight-tackle outing.

Scoring Summary

APSU 6, UTM 0 – Pick-six! Koby Perry intercepted a UT Martin pass on 4th-and-5 and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. It was APSU’s second pick-six this season and Perry’s first career interception. The Govs attempted to run for the two-point conversion and failed.

APSU 9, UTM 0 – Austin Peay State University marched down the field on its next possession following the pick-six. The drive ultimately covered 49 yards in 15 play but stalled out at the UTM 16-yard line. Maddux Trujillo came on and converted the 33-yard field goal for the Govs first offensive points of the day.

APSU 16, UTM 0 – Pick-six! After Matt Rigney’s 42-yard punt pinned the Skyhawks deep in their own end, Isaiah Norman picked off a tipped pass and returned it eight yards for the Govs second defensive touchdown of the day. Trujillo converted the PAT to extend the APSU lead.

APSU 16, UTM 7 – UTM used its first drive of the second half to march down the field, using eight plays to cover 62 yards. A facemask penalty late on the drive against the Govs moved the ball into the APSU red zone. Zak Wallace used back-to-back runs of seven yards to score the touchdown for UTM’s first points of the game with 6:20 left in the third quarter. Tyler Larco connected on the PAT to cut the Govs lead to nine points.

APSU 16, UTM 10 – On its next possession, UTM again moved down the field getting 53 yards on 13 plays before the drive bogged down at the APSU 25-yard line. Tyler Larco converted the 42-yard field goal opportunity, cutting the Govs lead to a single possession. The Skyhawks converted 3-of-4 third-down opportunities on the drive, with each of the converting 3rd-and-long opportunities three times (11, 10 and 9 yards).

APSU 16, UTM 17 – The Skyhawks offense continued to chew up yardage on its final drive of the half. A 20-play, 96-yard drive included conversions on 3rd-and-9 from the UTM 35-yard line and 4th-and-1 at the APSU 26-yard line. Keon Howard found Peyton Logan for a 5-yard touchdown pass and Larco converted the PAT to give the Skyhawks their only lead of the game.

Next Up For APSU Football

The Austin Peay State University football team returns to Clarksville to prepare for a November 2nd OVC outing against Eastern Illinois in its penultimate home game. The game starts at 2:00pm at Fortera Stadium.

Box Score

Austin Peay 16, UT Martin 17

Austin Peay Passing

Austin Peay Rushing

Austin Peay Receiving

UT Martin Passing

UT Martin Rushing

UT Martin Receiving

Game Comparison